June 15, 2023 On June 6th, I had my second class in the 10-week Rutgers University Cooperative Extension Coastal Stewardship Course. The first presenter on this night was Dr. Steven Yergeau of Rutgers, who spoke about watershed management in Barnegat Bay. He explained characteristics of watersheds and their role in the water cycle. He delved …
June 5, 2023 On May 30, I had the privilege of beginning a 10-week coastal stewardship class that I will be taking throughout this summer. The class is located in Tom’s River, New Jersey, not far from my family’s home in Tuckerton and is run by Dr. Doug Zemeckis of Rutgers University as part of …
April 12, 2023 It would be nice to believe that all products labeled as “bioplastics” had no negative impacts on the environment and could be used without consequence. However, a recent literature review warns that we shouldn’t be so quick to make this assumption. A January 2023 article by science journalist Michael Allen notes that …
March 8, 2023 Horseshoe crabs are an ancient species, having survived five mass extinctions over hundreds of millions of years. However, human exploitation may finally wipe out this resilient species if recent trends continue. As a recent article by science investigator Deborah Cramer in The New York Times notes, horseshoe crab populations have experienced significant …
February 4, 2023 I recently created a slideshow based on a groundbreaking research paper published in 2022, by a group of researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The NIEHS study explored connections between the infamous DDT pesticide and Alzheimer’s Disease. DDT is a synthetic pesticide that was developed in the 1940s …
I just discovered the coastal eco-system of Tuckerton, New Jersey when my family stumbled its way into this historical fishing community in the summer of 2022. My parents found a house (foolishly?) close to the water and I fell in love with Tuckerton Bay, a tiny corner of the Barnegat Bay watershed — with its …
I recently read an inspiring article about a fantastic young activist and leader named Imani Black, the founder of the nonprofit organization Minorities in Aquaculture. Imani is an oyster farmer whose mission is to preserve wildlife and promote sustainability in the Chesapeake Bay area. She aims to provide greater opportunities for minority groups, specifically women …